Van Fanel
"An agitated heart calls dragons. Hate and fear create conflict." - Van Fanel Van Fanel (バァン・ファーネル Baan Fāneru) is the deuteragonist of The Vision of Escaflowne ''and ''Escaflowne. He is the son of Goau Fanel and Varie Fanel, and the younger brother of Folken Fanel. Van is the King of Fanelia and the pilot of the legendary Ispano Guymelef Escaflowne. He is also a member of the Draconian race, a mystical winged people that exist only on Gaea. Appearance Van has brown eyes and short black hair that often covers his left eye. He wears a loose red sleeveless shirt with white fabric laces, tan pants, black boots, and a brown sword belt with the royal sword of Fanelia in a blue sheath. His hands are covered by brown gloves. In the first episode, Van wears ceremonial dragonslaying armor: a dark gray overshirt with attached gloves and a wide turtleneck; navy shoulderpads and armor on his hands, arms, and legs; and a gold, white, and navy breastplate with ornamental red ribbons. He uses a fold-out circular shield to deflect the dragon's fire, and also carries a mechanical bow and arrow on his back. In the second episode, he wears a coronation outfit: oversized white armor with a pointed helmet accented with gold, with a red and gold emblem in the center. The armor is worn over a black shirt, and a navy cape covers is shoulders. Because he is half-Draconian, Van has white wings that Hitomi compares to the wings of an angel. Personality Van often acts brash, arrogant, irritable, and rude. He makes impulsive decisions and takes risks, and is quick to distrust others. However, this anger is only superficial; Van is a selfless person with a good heart, and he wants to do the right thing and protect those he cares about. Van is emotionally guarded, and his outward personality acts as a barrier between his inward self and the outside world. He has trouble opening up to others, and tends to retreat behind his outward barrier rather than sharing his true emotions. He also doesn't like to fight and hates causing harm to others, yet he has a violent streak. He struggles to reconcile his attitudes on fighting with his duty as Fanelia's king and what Hitomi believes is best for him. In the anime Early life 15 years ago, Van Fanel was born on April 12. His father Goau died of an unknown illness when Van was only three. As a young child, Van was close to his brother Folken and mother Varie. Van was also friends with Merle from an early age, who dared him to fly from the rooftop. Folken played with him and read to him about the history of Fanelia, and Varie taught him that he was not supposed to show his wings carelessly in front of others. Ten years ago, Folken disappeared during the Rite of Succession to become the King of Fanelia. Varie disappeared, apparently having died searching for Folken. After his parents' death, Van was likely raised by Balgus Ganesha, the master swordsman of Gaea who served the Fanelian royal family, who was also a master to the young Van in the art of swordsmanship. Beyond the death of his parents and disappearance of his brother, not much is known about Van's childhood. Gaea War Rite of Succession and Meeting Hitomi Soon after his fifteenth birthday, Van is called upon to slay a dragon as part of the Rite of Succession to ascend the throne and become Fanelia's king. He is eager to prove that he doesn't have the cowardice he believes his brother to have had, and informs Balgus that he will not back away from the rite. However, while fighting the land dragon, he is suddenly transported to Earth in a pillar of light, where Hitomi, running around the track at her high school to try and beat 13 seconds, crashes into him and falls backward. Frustrated by his sudden transportation to Earth, Van reacts violently to Hitomi, Yukari, and Amano, asking them if they are devils, to which Hitomi responds that they are not demons, and Yukari is shocked to hear that Hitomi can understand what sounds like nonsense to her and Amano. Van recognizes that if he got transported to Gaea, the dragon could come too, and waits as the dragon arrives. He engages in battle with the dragon, then pursues it as it tries to chase down Hitomi, Yukari, and Amano. At the shrine, Hitomi has a vision and warns Van that he's going to get impaled by the dragon's tail if he doesn't move out of the way. He avoids the dragon's tail, kills the dragon, and extracts the Drag-Energist from its heart. Van watches as the dragon fades. Hitomi approaches him, and he tells her he didn't need her help. Irritated by his immaturity, Hitomi slaps him, tells him she was concerned about him getting killed, and bursts into tears. Suddenly, Van's Energist reacts with Hitomi's pendant, and a pillar of light appears, transporting both of them to Gaea. Outside Fanelia, the two are taken in by Ruhm, who transports them back to Fanelia on the back of a yak. Van explains that Hitomi came from the Mystic Moon, Gaea's term for Earth. When they arrive in Fanelia the next day, Van hops off the back of the animal and is greeted by Merle. Balgus and the three samurai generals approach him, and he shows that he has successfully completed the Rite of Succession by bringing back the heart of a dragon. Inside the castle, Hitomi witnesses Van training with Balgus. Balgus informs her that Van told him that she saved his life, and that they will do all they can to return her home. During Van's coronation, at which he is given the royal sword of Fanelia as proof of his accession, Zaibach Guymelefs, hiding within their stealth cloaks, attack Fanelia. Balgus tells Van to escape to the shrine with Hitomi and awake Escaflowne if necessary. Van enters the shrine, cuts his finger on his sword, and lets his blood drip onto the Drag-Energist, binding himself by blood pact to Escaflowne and awaking it. He places the Energist inside Escaflowne's gem, awaking it, and jumps inside its cockpit. The Guymelefs arrive inside the shrine, and Hitomi tells Van where the invisible Guymelefs are, and he attacks them. Balgus arrives and tells Van to take Hitomi and run, and Van refuses to run, continuing to fight the Guymelefs instead. When Van leaves the shrine, Fanelia is in flames, and Balgus is impaled by a Crima Claw soon afterward, which kills him. Zaibach Guymelefs surround them, but Hitomi's agony at witnessing Balgus' death causes her pendant to transport them in a pillar of light away from the destruction before they can attack. Meeting Allen Hitomi and Van are transported to the forest near Fort Castelo and are separated. The Mole Man attempts to rob Hitomi of her pendant, and Van, hearing Hitomi's screams, runs toward the sound of her voice. When he gets there, he sees Allen Schezar, and, thinking he's the cause of her distress, challenges him to a duel. Allen defeats Van easily and takes the two of them back to Fort Castelo. After Van and Hitomi awake, Van informs Allen that Hitomi is from the Mystic Moon and demands that Allen give him back Escaflowne. Allen tells him that Fanelia burned to the ground, at which Van is horrified. Allen vows to help Van if he tells Allen what happened, but before that can happen, Zaibach Guymelefs and a floating fortress arrive at Castelo. Allen tells Van and Hitomi not to go anywhere while he attends to the visiting party. Van pleads with Gaddes to go downstairs so he can see the faces of the people who destroyed his country. He hears Dilandau call Fanelia a backwater country; irritated, he sticks up for Fanelia. Instead of responding to Van, Dilandau's attention is drawn by Hitomi whose short hair and clothes contrast those of Gaean women. Allen resolves the situation by telling Dilandau Hitomi is his new lover and kissing her on the cheek, which irritates Van and Dilandau. Van and Hitomi return to their room in Castelo where Hitomi gives Van a reading to attempt to take his mind off of things, though he expresses doubt about cards being able to tell one's fortune. While looking at the Death card, she has a vision of Dilandau's upcoming assault on Castelo, and Van shakes her out of it. Just then, the Mole Man digs up into the floor, causing Hitomi to remark on him being the "pervert" from earlier, which confuses Van until he finds out that the Mole Man attempted to steal her pendant. He digs them a tunnel to the Guymelef storehouse. Van gets in Escaflowne with the intention of returning to Fanelia, but is stopped by Allen in his Guymelef Scherazade, who challenges Van to a fight. They engage in a brief fight, in which Van finds out that Balgus was Allen's master. Allen wins, but Van was able to inflict a significant wound on Scherazade's shoulder. After the conclusion of their fight, Hitomi sees a vision of Castelo burning and tells Allen that they have to run away. A soldier arrives with Merle, who has been taken prisoner, and Van leaps down from Escaflowne to talk to her. He asks her what happened to Fanelia, and she tells him that it burned and she kept looking for him. He is glad she was able to return safely. Allen tells him to take Merle inside, where he takes care of Hitomi's fever while Van tends to Merle. Van notices a seed embedded in Merle's cheek, which is the source of both her fever. He walks over to Hitomi to look for a similar seed, but when he sees Allen holding Hitomi's hand, he walks away and goes down to the dungeon to look for the Mole Man. He asks the Mole Man to give him the leaves he needs to make the medicine, and makes medicine for Merle and for Hitomi, which he then gives to both of them. Zaibach attacks and burns Castelo. Allen goes out to look for any of his wayward soldiers, and Van runs up to him, asking him where Escaflowne is. Allen tells him it's been loaded onto the Crusade, and informs Van that they'll be escaping. Seeing this action as cowardice, Van admonishes Allen for running away from his fortress after how many men were killed in the attack. Allen retorts that there's no bravery in choosing to die, and lectures Van on the importance of fighting for Fanelia's future. Van gives in, lowering his sword, and walks into Scherazade's hand. Allen promises Van he will never hand him or Escaflowne over to Zaibach. Allen takes Van to the waterfall, and jumps, landing on the Crusade. Because they can fly, the Zaibach Guymelefs piloted by Dilandau and his Dragonslayers pursue the Crusade ''and attack Scherazade. Van realizes that everyone is in danger because the Guymelefs are after Escaflowne, so he jumps into the hangar of the ''Crusade, gets in Escaflowne, transforms it into its dragon form, and flies away to divert attention from the Crusade ''and toward him instead. Reunion with Folken and first Asturia arc While attempting to escape Dilandau and the Dragonslayers, Van loses control of Escaflowne and has to land it in a field. Unable to see the Guymelefs while they are using stealth cloaking, Van is trapped in place by their Crima Claws and beaten by Dilandau until he falls unconscious. Aboard the ''Vione, Folken cuts his finger on his sword and uses his blood to open Escaflowne. Van falls onto the ground and Dilandau expresses surprise that Van is the pilot of Escaflowne. Van wakes up in a bed to the sound of Folken's whistling. He does not recognize his brother and asks how he knows one of Fanelia's songs. He dashes for his sword and asks to be taken to Escaflowne. Folken refuses, and Van, who doesn't want to become part of Zaibach, holds his sword to his throat before Folken knocks it out of his hand, telling him not to throw his life away. Folken then takes off his uniform and spreads his wings, and Van recognizes him as his brother. Van tells Folken that he always believed he had died fighting the dragon, and is disappointed and hurt to see that he defected to Zaibach. He demands answers, but Folken refuses to tell him, instead asking him to join him in Zaibach and pricking Van's neck with his metal claw, which causes Van to pass out. Allen rescues Van from his imprisonment and they run further into the Vione. Allen tells Van where to go to find Escaflowne and Van runs toward it. On a bridge above, he sees Folken, who throws him his sword and walks away. Hitomi, having just arrived, warns Van of Dilandau's impending attack, and Van turns around just in time to block Dilandau, but ends up cutting Dilandau's cheek, inflicting a wound for which Dilandau will continually resent him. Van and the others escape the ''Vione ''and Van is reunited with Merle. Van thanks Allen and his crew for saving him, and Allen says that Hitomi is the one to thank. Van scoffs at this, which annoys Hitomi. On the way to Palas, Merle sees Van sitting with Escaflowne and looking at the emblem of Fanelia on his sword. In-Depth Information Van Fanel is the young half-Draconian King of Fanelia who suddenly appears on Earth one day, fighting a Dragon. His life narrowly saved by Hitomi, a schoolgirl caught up in the battle, Van returns to his kingdom only to learn he must cope with drastic changes in his life after Fanelia is destroyed by Zaibach. He pilots Escaflowne, a Guymelef made by the mysterious Ispano tribe which can transform into a flying dragon. He earns his right to pilot Escaflowne through a blood pact which connects his body and soul to Escaflowne. Due to the blood pact and Hitomi's influence, Van becomes injured when the Escaflowne is damaged, and these wounds will not close until Escaflowne is repaired. Consequently, if Escaflowne is destroyed, Van will die. His destiny and Hitomi's are linked, and he is initially dependent on Hitomi's clairvoyant abilities, which save his life more than once. He also holds a grudge against Folken for leaving his native Kingdom of Fanelia for Zaibach and Dornkirk for his grand ambitions. Due to being half-Draconian, Van is able to manifest a pair of feathered wings which enable him to fly. Videos Trivia *According to the way he holds his sword, Van is right-handed. *Van's name is similar to his mother Varie's name; they both start with "va." *During the anime's development, Van was initially named "Dai Ginga," which translates to "Great Galaxy," likely to parallel Hitomi's planned last name, "Hoshino," which means "of the stars." *In an early design, Van's right eye was brown and his left eye was green, indicating that he was half-Draconian and half-human; the left eye that indicated his heritage was covered by his hair so that his status would not be obvious. *Van's official title is: "His Majesty The King of Fanelia." 02-van-fanel.jpg Esca van063.jpg esca9_0013.jpg esca8_0081.jpg Van-movie-422702.jpg Van-286068.jpg Van ep7 cel.jpg Van ep24 cel.jpg Van ep11.jpg Van ep4.jpg Vanwings.jpg Esca hito-van017.jpg esca8_0077.jpg esca20_0052.jpg Van escaflowne.png vanescaflowne027.jpg The Vision of Escaflowne Van (2).png The Black Winged Angel 2.png The Black Winged Angel 3.png The Black Winged Angel 4.png The Black Winged Angel 5.png Storm Premonition.png Storm Premonition 2.png Storm Premonition 3.png Storm Premonition 7.png Storm Premonition 8.png Fateful Decision 1.png Fateful Decision 6.png Fateful Decision 7.png Fateful Decision 12.png Fateful Decision.png Fateful Decision 14.png Zone of Absolute Fortune 1.png Zone of Absolute Fortune 14.png Zone of Absolute Fortune.png Eternal Love 1.png Eternal Love 4.png Eternal Love.png Eternal Love 6.png Eternal Love 7.png Eternal Love 9.png Eternal Love 11.png Eternal Love 14.png Eternal Love 16.png Eternal Love 17.png Eternal Love 18.png Eternal Love 19.png Eternal Love 20.png Eternal Love 22.png Eternal Love 27.png Eternal Love 29.png Eternal Love 37.png Eternal Love 39.png See Also *Hitomi and Van *Van and Allen *Van and Folken *Van and Merle *Van and Dilandau Fanel,Van Fanel,Van Category:Male Category:Alive Fanel,Van Category:King Category:Royal